Irish man plunges 36 floors to his death in Pattaya

On Wednesday night a man’s body was found in the Zire Wongamat Condominium on Na Klua 18 Road in the Klua sub-district in Pattaya.

The 49 year old Irish man plunged 36 floors to his death from the adjacent Sky Beach Condominium. His 47 year old Thai girlfriend told investigators that the man had serious problems in Ireland related to property and went on to say that when they returned back to their 36th floor apartment after celebrating the Chinese New Year her boyfriend became extremely distressed after reading an email. According to her statement he then punched her in the face, she then left and returned with two security guards who found the man smoking on his balcony before suddenly jumping off. They had been in a relationship for two years.

Death from balcony falls in Thailand is becoming common place and a simple google search brings up dozens of examples, mainly in Pattaya and Bangkok. Surprisingly according to UK Government statistics three thousand British people fall off balconies each year while abroad.

Last year it was reported that UK insurance companies were cracking down on holiday makers making claims for falling off a balcony, a trend that many insurance companies believe are fueled by drink and drugs.

Aviva, who underwrite polices for HSBC and Barclays as well as offering their own insurance will not pay out of people have been balancing on railings or crossing from one balcony to another. Direct Line also warns that it will reject claims when holidaymakers have ‘climbed, jumped or moved’ from one balcony to another. The move follows an alarming rise in the number of young people killed or injured after diving off balconies into pools or jumping from one balcony to another.